Takayama: Japan’s Old Town Preserved in the Mountains — Jinya, Markets & Sake
Takayama (高山) in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture owes its extraordinary historical preservation to the same geographical accident…
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Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: Japan’s Greatest Mountain Road (Snowwall in Spring)
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) is one of Japan's most extraordinary transportation experiences — a 37 km…
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Towada-Hachimantai National Park: The Caldera Lake & Autumn Foliage Drive
Towada-Hachimantai National Park (十和田八幡平国立公園) — established in 1936 across the borders of Aomori, Akita, and Iwate prefectures —…
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Wajima: Japan’s Lacquerware Capital & the Noto Peninsula Morning Market
The Noto Peninsula (能登半島) extends northward from Kanazawa into the Sea of Japan like a peninsula reaching toward…
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Yakushima vs Okinawa: Which Southern Island Should You Choose?
This question comes up constantly among visitors planning their first trip to Japan's southern islands, and the answer…
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Yamadera (立石寺): Climbing 1,015 Steps to Basho’s Temple in the Clouds
In 1689, the haiku poet Matsuo Bashō climbed a mountain in Yamagata Prefecture and wrote one of the…
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Zao Onsen & Snow Monsters: Japan’s Most Surreal Winter Experience
On the ski slopes of Zao Onsen (蔵王温泉) in Yamagata Prefecture, something happens every winter that requires seeing…
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Noboribetsu Onsen: Hell Valley & the Best Onsen Resort in Hokkaido
Noboribetsu Onsen (登別温泉) has a legitimate claim to being the finest onsen resort town in Hokkaido — and…
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Nozawa Onsen: The Village That Has Given Free Hot Water Since the 1100s
Nozawa Onsen (野沢温泉) — a village of approximately 3,600 people on a mountain slope in northern Nagano Prefecture…
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Okinawa Main Island: What to Do Beyond the Resorts — Local Food, Shuri Castle & Culture
Okinawa (沖縄) occupies an unusual position in Japan's cultural geography. The Ryukyu Kingdom (琉球王国) — the independent maritime…
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